MPs on the Treasury Select Committee have warned that
UK census details could be given to US security services if a
US outsourcer wins a contract to do the census.
MPs have demanded that the government seeks assurances from the
US government that census data will not be at risk if American IT
outsourcer and defence company Lockheed Martin wins the census
contract.
Under the
US Patriot
Act, which was brought in to tackle terrorism, US security
services are allowed access to data held by US companies doing
business abroad.
Lockheed's involvement in the Canadian census caused similar
concerns in that country.
Lockheed Martin is competing with Germany's T-Systems to win a
£450m contract to run the 2011 census.
The Treasury has said it will make sure that UK census data will
remain in the UK out of reach from the US intelligence services,
but the select committee remains unconvinced.
It said, "The committee remains concerned that the personal
information gathered through the 2011 census could be subject to
the US Patriot Act, and asks the government to take clear legal
advice and advice from the US State Department and to publish
it."